Unknown Troubles
by LoyalSlytherclaw
Summary: The marauders Sirius, Remus, Peter and James return to Hogwarts for their sixth year after the holidays. But their fellow marauder, Laurel, has a secret she is desperate to keep from them.
1. Chapter 1

**I wanted a break from writing in my oc's pov for awhile (Liriel) so I decided to do a random writing thingy that will evolve into whatever, because as usual, I never know what i'm going to write, my fanfic is actually really crap compared to my normal writing, I got an A in English, the words aren't as flowy in fanfic somehow.**

**Anyway, enough from me, to whatever fandom I write for!**

She felt sick as she lay in the hospital wing, but it wasn't the pain of her monthly wounds that plagued her so, for though they hurt terribly, it wasn't nearly as bad as not being able to see her crush for a week.

She knew he could look after himself, that she was overreacting, but the cheeky, mischievous guy got up to so many shenanigans she was constantly riddled with thoughts of him getting hurt terribly, each time without fail thinking _hurt me instead, take me, __**anything, **__as long as Sirius isn't harmed._

Tears welled up again, cascading silently down her cheeks as she cursed the one that had done this to her, for if Fenrir Greyback had not targeted her in the summer, she might be able to look after the trickster. She had been newly attacked, having no choice but to succumb to the monthly transformations of the werewolf, orphaned and homeless, though nobody knew except Dumbledore.

She had refused his help, knowing it would less her to the Potter's and their questioning looks, and, consequently to James, and then she'd have no choice but to tell and she didn't want that. They had enough worry with Remus.

Now she sat at the Gryffindor table a few days after she was in Madam Pomfrey's care, looking out of place in her Slytherin robes even if none questioned it. Laurel had been friends with the Marauders for years before Hogwarts, and they'd bonded too much to let her go over the houses.

Besides, they said, or more likely joked unless they were feeling glum, she'd gotten a Gryffindor/Slytherin hatstall, she couldn't be that bad.

"Hey Redtail." James grinned across at the Slytherin, who returned the sentiment, even if it was somewhat forced.

Of course when she had found out about Remus' condition, Laurel too had tried, and succeeded, at becoming an animagi, albeit illegally, her own form the fox. Fat lot of difference it'd make now.

"I thought I told you to call me Red, Prongs." She admonished, smiling at the new addition to their company, who shot her a curious and questioning look. "Moony."

Of course he, that is to say _they _now, couldn't help it that term returned after a full moon, and the fact that his friend Laurel had also been there was bound to set off alarm bells for the young werewolf.

She blushed as Sirius sat next to her whilst a morose looking Peter sat to her left, the other marauders across from her.

"Good afternoon Red!" Padfoot grinned at her, reminding Red of a puppy, rather fitting considering his animagus was a dog.

She grinned a little. "Hey Padfoot!"

The boys soon started conversing about quidditch, Sirius becoming rather excitable as was his tendency, not bothering to look at his plate as he conversed animatedly with the rest of the marauders, reaching for the salt every now and then.

Laurel soon saw the perfect opening for a prank, and trying her best to maintain an innocent demeanour she subtly flicked her cypress wand at the salt and pepper shakers, vanishing the lid of the latter with another flick of her wand, not having to wait long for the inevitable.

"And did you _see _that dive! Allovitch nearly-" gesturing animatedly as he talked, Sirius absently reached for the 'salt', dumping almost half of the contents on his eggs which he raised to his mouth.

"Honestly, that play by the French chaser was such an obvious foul-!" His words were interrupted by the eggs entering his mouth, which he spat out rather quickly, scratching furiously at his tongue, to the howling amusement of the others.

"Oi! Whid one o' oo lot did _that?!_" He demanded awkwardly around his tongue, turning to face a struggling Laurel with a smirk, dropping his hands from his tongue with a predatory look.

"Nope." She started before he could even start, facial muscles twitching in an effort not to laugh.

"Red," he began warningly, "I know that look. You've got those mischief eyes again."

At that the female marauder joined in the cackling of her male companions, holding a stitch in her side. "I'm sorry Padfoot!" She gasped, clutching her side through the tears. "I couldn't help it...the set up was _perfect!"_

"As is the castle. It's the perfect set up for a little...tickling." He grinned down at her, and the two had all but forgotten the others, especially the female, who scrambled to her feet with a wide-eyed look of horror.

"You wouldn't."

"Oh," Sirius replied, grinning wickedly, " I would."

Still wide eyed in horror, Liriel swiftly turned and ran with all her might, thanking all her ancestors and back she now had heightened werewolf strength, tuning it down only a little so as not to cause suspicion, for otherwise she ran as if the hounds of hell were at her heels. In a way, she would have preferred that.

Hell-hounds don't tickle.

Streaking through the castle, the two inevitably reached a dead end, whereupon sirius smirked, slowly stepping forward until he had her backed but a few metres away from the wall, smirking as he ignored her pleas for forgiveness, pouncing on her.

She howled in laughter as he tickled her sides mercilessly, straddling her hips to keep her down, unbeknownst to him desperately using all her might not to accidently use her newfound strength upon him, just barely succeeding in the endeavour.

"Stop!" She gasped, and he did, though he remained straddling her waist.

"Only if you say that Sirius Black is the hottest guy in Hogwarts." He said smugly, sniggering at her appalled expression.

"W-What?!" She spluttered, blushing tremendously.

"You heard me." When she looked hesitant, he added, "Do it, or be tickled again."

Blushing a thousand shades of the sun, Laurel grudgingly mumbled his request.

"Hmm, don't think I could hear that." Sirius said, slowly and deliberately inching his hands towards her with a roguish grin.

"FINE! Fine! Just keep those hands away Sirius whatever-the-hell-your-middle-name-is Black!"

She demanded, huffing as she looked anywhere but at the guy she was suddenly acutely aware was straddling her.

"Sirius Black is the hottest guy in Hogwarts, there, fine, done! Now get off of me Padfoot!"

"As Milady wishes."

He grinned, stepping aside to reveal the rest of the marauders, Remus rolling his eyes and procuring Laurel's things from behind his back, looking sternly into her eyes as the transition was made, still with a curious light. The message in them was clear, even as he told her in exasperation that he had to collect her timetable. _What aren't you telling us Laurel?_

Laurel took her bag guiltily, thanking him, and the fact that they had no classes on the first day back, especially since they were in sixth year.

"Enjoy your...'tickling' session Red?" James asked, making speech marks with his fingers on the word 'tickling ' walking backwards in front of the others with a grin.

"Most certainly not." She replied, pressing her lips together in a thin line.

"Aww, come on Red, you know you loved it." Sirius grinned, winking at her from around Remus.

Unable to stop it, she grinned, reaching around the werewolf to hit Sirius on the back of his head.

She sighed. "You know Padfoot, one of these days I will end up casting disillusionment charm just to avoid you lot."

"Naww, you still love us!" James exclaimed, he too winking at her, though his was deliberately over-exaggerated as he whirled around and threw an arm over her shoulders, next to her now as they headed for their favourite tree on the grounds, in view of the Black Lake.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that, Potter." She said lightly, grinning in jest when James put a hand to his heart.

"If Lily loves me, than you can too." He said looking affronted.

She groaned. "Spare us from the rant James, please lord anything else!"

"But, it's _Lily."_

"Believe me mate, we _definitely _know." Sirius warned.

At the tree now, Remus promptly opened a book, idly flicking the page as he addressed his friend. " You've been going on about her since third year Prongs."

"Seriously?! Even you Moony." James seemed put out.

Laurel couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Tone down the ego and you might have a chance Prongs."

He perked up at that. "Really?" He said hopefully.

"Yes, lord knows you'll probably get worse now that I've said that."

"No I won't." He said, determination in his voice, before tapping Sirius on the shoulder. "You're it!" He grinned, running away as fast as he could from his friend, who ran after him with a shout.

the Slytherin shook her head at their antics, grinning down at a book of her own.

"Where's Wormtail?" Remus asked.

"No idea." She replied flippantly, her dislike of the marauder thinly veiled. Foxes and rats weren't apt to get along.

She heard him mutter a revealing spell, before meeting a "Good."

"He isn't here. Now, why were you in the hospital wing? Did something happen in the holidays?"

Laurel tensed, giving her friend the side eye with a closed off expression as she read, the lie coming fluidly from her tongue. "Nothing _happened_ except me tripping on the way to the dungeons and breaking my arm."

She knew he might be able to smell her, although thankfully it was rather faint, and only a fellow werewolf would know, and only if they got very close, hence the reason she sat a small distance away now.

Accepting of this, he nodded, a relieved sigh coming from his lips. "Good. There was a report in the daily prophet. They never mentioned the victim's name of course, but Greyback is rumoured to have targeted another child."

She felt guilty for lying, but it had to be done. "I hope whoever it is gets well treated."

"Me too." He replied solemnly, returning to his book. "Werewolves, generally, aren't treated well."

Remus' suspicions abated for now, and Laurel felt like gasping in relief. The marauders, her friends, had enough to deal with without another werewolf. She would have to be careful, much more so than Remus who had claimed upon relatives and illness at first.

She would use all her cunning if she had to, she decided, slinking away from the group and heading to the dungeons, scheming and wondering where she would go during the full moon.

No one could know, no matter the consequence, but that didn't mean some planning wasn't in order.


	2. Chapter 2

Laurel groaned in the sudden sunlight that streamed from her window, a bubbly, excitable blonde girl, Lauren, having just opened them in her joy at the morning.

"Come on Laurel, get up! The birds are tweeting and the sun is shining!" She pronounced enthusiastically, causing several groans around the room.

"Ren, what's the time?" Laurel asked blearily, stretching and blinking at the light that had invaded her bed.

"Seven , now uppity up! Classes start at nine!"

Laurel yawned widely. "Suppose i'm up now." She grumbled, throwing the forest green blanket off of her form, trudging wearily to the bathroom.

"Rel, you forgot your robes you silly child!" The blonde admonished, taking note of the bedside table. "And your wand!"

Huffing irritably, Laurel trudged back across the room, snatching her wand from the chipper girl.

"You know, some days I really question why I put up with your..." Laurel grimaced, "Morning-ness."

"It's cause you love me." Lauren winked. "Now, get your ass into that shower!"

A bit more _awake _than she was before, Laurel saluted her. "Yes ma'am."

Chuckling, Lauren rolled her eyes, pushing her friend's back. "Oh, just go in already! You're annoying me."

Waiting until she was at the bathroom for, the marauder summoned her clothes, an exaggerated look of shock upon her features, gasping. "You're _annoyed?! _Oh my good it just be the apocalypse! Everyone run for your lives!"

Her sniggering form disappeared behind the bathroom door just before a pillow wacked against it with a sound thud.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Lauren was already at the Slytherin table when her auburn haired friend arrived, promptly sitting down to eat her porridge.

"Know what we have first?" Laurel asked, swallowing her mouthful.

"No idea, charms I think."The blonde shrugged at the curious, emerald eyes of her friend, pulling out her timetable.

Laurel's spoon made a chink as it dropped onto the edge of her bowl, the emerald irises widened in horror upon her pale face, the freckles along her cheek bones overtaken by their sheer size.

"Dear god no, not charms. Please tell me it isn't charms."

"Aaand it's charms."

"I'm terrible at charms." Laurel breathed, lost in a world of her own for a minute.

"With the Ravenclaws."

Laurel's head thudded against the table as she groaned. "Most of those guys are arrogant, up themselves idiots."

Lauren raised an eyebrow, resuming her breakfast without the dramatics of her friend. "They're alright, some of them. Besides, you call James and Sirius any better?"

Laurel lifted her head off of the table to glare at her friend. "They're diferrent." She stated stubbornly.

"Really? How so?"

"Erm, well..." Struggling on her words for too long, the auburn had of the Slytherin noticed the smug smirking of her friend had turned into all out sniggering.

"Oh, shut up." She mumbled, only causing the sniggers to increase in volume.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Unfortunately, the desks were in rows, and Laurel was forced to sit next to a Ravenclaw boy with blonde hair, who stared ahead with a vacant, dreamy expression. Laurel was left internally grumbling at the fact she had pulled an acceptable OWL for the subject.

"Welcome back." The charms teacher, Professor Collins greeted in his usual rumbling voice that sounded like rocks rolling down the mountain in the middle of an avalanche.

He was a large, intimidating man, with broad shoulders and of a heavily muscled physique, especially his arms, rugged black hair and thick, unkempt facial hair that he never allowed to grow passed his chin, with cold, hardened eyes of a dark blue colour.

"Since you have been on break, and the NEWTS are to commence next year, I'd like to spend time on some revision. Pair up with the person next to you, and if _anyone _grumbles about the fact their partner is in Slytherin, all I have to say about is that you shouldn't have sat there, should you?

"Now, practice those appearance charms we did last term." He paused, snarling at the unresponsive students. "_Now." _

Startled, the room came to hasty life, and Laurel barely held back the grimace when she realised the Ravenclaw boy with a dreamy, fazed out look was on her right, but he seemingly didn't notice the thinly veiled disgust.

Trying to be polite, Laurel asked his name as she withdrew her wand from her pocket.

"Xenophilius Lovegood. I'm afraid I don't know you...?" He appeared perplexed, cocking his head to the side as if he'd figure out her name that way.

"Laurel...Millsrund." The Slytherin introduced, her surname, which she despised, rolling awkwardly off of her tongue, her nose scrunched up and her upper lip curling in disgust of it.

"Who's going first?" She asked.

"You can, change whatever you wish." He replied, and Laurel noticed that his eyes, despite his overall demeanour, were rather frantic.

This being rather disconcerting, she focused upon his hair instead, trying to ignore the eyes as she changed the platinum colour to several shades of brown and black.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Hurrying out of the class, Laurel sagged against a wall in relief, hoping Xenophilius didn't notice his hair was a tad darker than it used to be, briskly jumping away from the wall and checking her timetable as her bubbly friend excited the classroom.

"How'd you go Ren?" She asked, absently skimming the timetable.

"Brilliant, I got a shade lighter than I was aiming for, but I managed to reverse it alright."

Noting the lack of reply, she barreled on. " How'd you go Rel? Didn't blow anyone up?"

Shaking her head and stowing the timetable in her bag, Laurel shrugged, grinning. "Not this time Ren, though I maaaay have accidentally left Xenophilius' hair a tad darker than it once was."

Lauren just shook her head. "Honestly you goof, sometimes I don't know _what, _exactly, to do with you. We have transfiguration now, don't we?" She looked a little perturbed for a second, furrowing her eyebrows. "We _did _pick the same subjects, right?"

"Yep and yeppity yep."

She breathed a sigh of relief at her auburn haired friend's answer. "Thank Merlin."

She laughed at the blonde, grinning to herself and shaking her head as they moved towards the transfiguration classroom, set up a tad more spaciously than the charms class.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Transfiguration over with, it was now time for lunch, and Laurel promptly ran to the nearest table in the Great Hall, heaping her plate with food before starting on the mountainous load, not noticing she was at the Ravenclaw table in her food lust, sitting across from Xenophilius and a girl who looked on at the ravenous red-head with repulsion.

Rolling her eyes at her friend, Lauren sat beside her, ignoring her disgusting manners."Don't mind Rel, she gets absolutely ravenous at midday."

She explained, though the girl only looked slightly less perturbed then before, hesitantly taking a bite from a strip of pork she had cut, before swallowing and turning to the blonde, though her eyes flickered to her friends' auburn had every now and then.

"Sorry," she began shyly, "My parents are rather strict and prefer to keep disciplined manners."

She paused. "Unlike hers by the looks of it."

Lauren smiled, her forever bubbly and amused demeanour unchanging, only becoming more pronounced at the comment. "No, I've been to the Millsrund household, they're quite fond of manners really, I think they just gave up on Rel."

Seeming more accepting then before, the Ravenclaw nodded, smirking in good humour. "I can see that. The boys she hangs out with can't have helped either." The brunette gestured behind the Slytherins, and the blonde grinned at the sight of the rest of the marauders, turning again to face the Ravenclaw.

"I like you." She decided. "What's your name?" The blonde asked curiously.

The brunette smiled, sweeping a loose lock of chestnut hair behind her ear. "Caroline Winters." She introduced herself in a polite, shy manner. "And your name is...?"

Grinning, Lauren inclined her head slightly, giving Caroline a mini salute, putting her usual energy into even such seemingly mundane things as introductions. "Lauren Hans-Greelings, my fellow friend."

Caroline smiled. "You're quite energetic aren't you?"

She grinned, neither of them juicing that Laurel had begin to watch them curiously as she ate at a slightly lower pace.

"Yep! You don't mind if I call you Rolly do you? Your name is quite long."

"Rolly?"

She startled as Laurel spoke, putting her food down for now. "I wouldn't question it, Ren will shorten names into things rather diferrent from the norm. She does it all the time."

"Rel,Rel,Rel," Lauren admonished, almost as if she was saying 'tsk' instead of addressing a friend, "How many times must I tell you not to eavesdrop, hm?"

The marauder grinned. "It doesn't matter how many times you say it, I'll still do it."

Lauren sighed. "Blunt as ever Rel."

The redhead winked. "You know it."

"I knew those boys had rubbed off on her." Caroline commented, sounding rather amused at their antics.

"And is that supposed to be a bad thing?" They all jumped at the sound of Sirius' voice, who had appeared without warning behind his Slytherin friends.

"Oh, hey Sirius." Laurel blushed as he sat next to her, James sitting in the space between the Slytherins.

"Honestly, we're offended that you'd even insinuate such a thing." James exclaimed, gesturing to the girls on either side of him. "They turned out fine enough."

Caroline's mouth twitched upward into a shy smirk. "I bet _that _miracle probably didn't have anything to do with you lot."

Sirius gasped in mock offence. "I hope you know I am deeply wounded by that." He poked his head around the blushing girl. "Did you _hear _that Prongsy?"

James shook his head in a semblance of sadness. "I did Padfoot, it wounds the heart." He replied, putting a hand to his chest to empathise the point.

"Did you want something or are you just being goofballs?"

Before they could reply, Remus spoke up from behind them, clutching a book to his chest. "They'll always be goofs, it doesn't matter if they want something or not, they'll still be goofs."

"Apparently." The Ravenclaw smirked.

Laurel sighed. "Go on you two, this _was _a private conversation before you lot bumped in."

"Surely you wouldn't want the hottest guy in Hogwarts to go away, would you?" Sirius asked, with an innocent expression on his face.

Laurel blushed, her cheeks rosy now. "It doesn't count if it's forced Padfoot."

He smirked, calling out to her as he was dragged away by a frustrated looking Remus. "You still said it!"

"Yes, thank you for the reminder." She said dryly, returning to her plate at a normal pace now, ignoring the curious looks of her friends for now, delving into her thoughts, and she couldn't help but think.

One excuse down.


	3. Chapter 3

**I didn't mention before, but I'm writing on atouch screen, so sorry four Amy spelling or autocorrect! Also, reviews are very much so welcome, they give me a boost to write. Oh and sometimes my errors go missing when I upload it to ff net, no idea why though.**

The bell rang, and Laurel smiled at the Ravenclaw girl she had begun to get to know over lunch, excusing herself and moving to the doors with her blonde friend.

"What do we have now? It's your turn for the timetable."

Scanning it, Lauren cursed, grabbing her friend by the arm and dragging her as she ran, despite the fact, unknown to her and anyone else of course, that Laurel could easily outrun the purely blonde.

"What?!"

"Divination!" She yelled back, to which Laurel hastily charged ahead, not really casting if Lauren became dumbfounded. In previous years, the girl was easily convinced, out seemed to be, and Laurel could only hope it wasn't a ruse.

Siding to a halt outside the classroom, Laurel made it just in time, climbing up the ladder to the tower, a strange woman with glasses which made her eyes seem huge and insect like, with unkempt brown curls and a shawl standing next to their usual teacher.

Professor Willows was a rather, well, willowy person, thin, angular and graceful, and her eyes, if one looked at them, were filled with a sort of knowing, and when she spoke her voice had the same quality as that of her eyes.

"Alas, my time has come. I have decided to resign." At that moment, the hatch cracked, and Lauren appeared, climbing into the classroom.

"Sorry i'm late professor! I left a bit too late!"

She merely smiled. "I had a feeling you would be, there's a spare seat next to Miss Millsrund."

Continuing on as if there were no interruptions, she introduced them to their new teacher. "The lovely woman I have next to me today will take over once I leave in a weeks time. She is the great granddaughter of the great seer Cassandra Trewlawney, Sybill."

The beautiful, haunting oceanic colour of Kathryn Willow's eyes hardened. "And I will make this very clear. You will treat her as you have treated me, no less! For now, Sybill will help anyone who has trouble. _Do not _think that your exceeds expectations OWL entitles you to rudeness." She eyed a few boys in the back of the rather aromatic classroom.

"Try to see each others auras again. They hold much insight, if you can decode them. We shall see how much you have remembered, reference your textbooks or notes if you have to. Begin."

Pretending to try and examine the aura surrounding her friend, Lauren leaned in, whispering. "How did you run so fast Rel?"

"I trained in the holidays."

"Don't lie to me Rel, I can already see some of your aura if I look closely. Its...changed, and not any minor one either."

Flicking her eyes to the book, Laurel swiftly flicked her wand under the covers of the table, closing it and planting a confused her features.

"I can't imagine why, it's not like I did anything exciting or life changing in the holidays." _But Greyback did. _She added silently.

Lauren opened her book again, seemingly oblivious to the fact it had been closed in the first place, dropping it open to a random page.

Laurel blanched as it flicked open to the '_Auras of the infected:A guide to werewolves and vampires' _

"Er, I'll do yours now! Maybe you've changed too!" She offered hastily, jolting a suspicious looking Lauren out of the danger-filled section of the book.

"Alright..." She agreed, narrowing her eyes upon her friend.

Concentrating, Laurel squinted. "It's still yellow, red is in parts of it..." Laurel turned to her own book, opening it to the appropriate page, "Soooo, that means you're energetic, cheerful, enthusiastic and passionate, logical and intellectual."

Lauren shrugged. "Pretty much. I'll try do yours now."

"Erm..."

Laurel was saved by the music that played, which the teacher claimed both 'got ones attention, but didn't disrupt the aura'.

Waiting until all were looking at her, Professor Willows stopped the music, addressing the class. "I won't spend all lesson on auras you're already read, so perhaps the balls are in order hm?" Flicking her wand, each table got a crystal ball as she continued. "Try to see passed the fog, open your minds! Sybill here will help you now. Resume."

Turning back to her table with relief, Laurel stared at the foggy depths of the ball, pulling out her quill and ink and book from her bag.

At first, not much happened, and Laurel didn't hear Lauren's quill scratching against parchment as it recalled what only she could see, everyone having different visions mostly. It was very rare not to.

Anyway, not much happened at first, besides Laurel fiddling with her will and trying to discern something in the fog. A few minutes later though, she thought she saw something in the fog, which opened her mind and channelled her spirit in a sudden burst, causing her to sit suddenly rigid in her chair, staring unseeing at the room, mumbling.

"Laurel, are you alright?" Lauren asked worriedly, and when no answer came she called out, hoping at least one professor would answer. "Um, Professor, is Laurel alright?!"

Before they could answer however Laurel, seemingly sensing her friend's distress, came back, the glassy expression slowly slinking away as she looked around, confused at why everyone was staring.

"What? Are you okay, you seem distressed Ren?"

As they related what happened, to her shock, somewhere in the castle, Lucius Malfoy scowled.

He had been so, so close...

OoOoOoOoOo

"Well, that was eventful." Caroline commented, and Laurel excused herself, ducking into a broom closet and leaving it just slightly open, transforming into her animagus, and slipping out again as a fox, trotting onto the grounds, heading for the tree by the Black Lake.

Curling up by it, in the shade of the large canopy of leaves it provided, the animagus watched the black lake, reflecting on things. It was how she recharged from too much socialization, she needed her alone time, as all introverts do.

And the issue of the probing she felt in her head as she mumbled what she could remember of wandless protection magic in divination could not wait.

It was easy , and necessary, to palm it off, but now she needed to think.

Who had attempted to infiltrate her mind? Would they do it again, and when? Would more unseen troubles be revealed in time?

Laurel, she decided, would have to have a little chat to Dumbledore about occlumency.


End file.
